United State Secretary of State, Antony Blinken has called for the immediate return of civilian rule in Sudan.
Sudan’s military seized power on Monday, soldiers have reportedly killed at least seven people and wounded 80 others after firing on protesting crowds.
The United States condemned the dissolution of the transitional government in Sudan by security forces through a military coup.
Due to the mass protest, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who condemned the coup, called for the immediate return to civilian rule and the release of the detained prime minister.
“We firmly reject the dissolution of the civilian-led transitional government and its associated institutions and call for their immediate restoration,” said Blinken, whose government has suspended $700m in aid to Sudan. He noted.
Tension had been mounting in Sudan in what the civilian government described as a failed coup attempt on 21 September, and disagreements within the country’s “sovereign council” in which power was shared between civilians leaders and the military.
Sudan’s armed forces moved to end the impasse on Sunday by detaining the civilian leaders, including prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, who have been heading the country’s transition to full civilian rule following the April 2019 overthrow of long-time autocratic leader Omar al-Bshir.
The military also declared a state of emergency, while internet and mobile phone network were cut off in the immediate aftermath of the coup.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who had been head of the sovereign council justified the seizure of power and the dissolution of the country’s transitional government, describing it as infighting between the military and civilian parties.
BBC says the pro-democracy protesters immediately took to the streets in protest after the speech of Burhan, blocking streets and burning tyres in the capital Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman.
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres says in a statement that the detention of the civilian leaders was unlawful.
Edited by Adeniyi Bakare